Graphical internet search system and methods

ABSTRACT

A system and methods for web based graphical internet searching for locating unique items sought by buyers of designs, furnishings and accessories through use of the internet. The invention includes a search interface where both a seller and buyer will use the same graphical alphabet, which divides an item into its component parts, to decipher the language of design which has an infinite number of stylistic combinations.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/440,324, filed Jan. 16, 2003, entitled “Web BasedInterface for Graphical Internet Searching” by Roger A. Schrenk. Theteachings of the provisional patent application are incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to an online marketplace for uniquelydesigned items, and more particularly, to a web based interface forgraphical internet searching that allows buyers and sellers tocommunicate with one another through the use of images rather than text.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Currently all search techniques on the internet require people totype in words or phrases to describe what they want to buy or sell.While this model is efficient for standardized goods such as books,cars, CDs and machine parts that require nothing more than a modelnumber, quantity or price to exchange, such a model is inefficient forcomplex goods like furniture and textiles for instance, whosedescriptions can vary from person to person. There is currently no wayon the Internet for an individual to search for what they want withoutthe use of text as the primary search tool.

[0004] Consider if two people were asked to write a description of achair, it is unlikely that their descriptions would match. Why? Becausethe terms and phrases needed to describe the chair accurately belong toa very complex stylistic language that is unfamiliar to the majority ofthe population. Stylistically this chair can be called Victorian,Renaissance Revival or Greek Revival. Its form can be called a sidechair, a parlor chair, a lady's chair or even a slipper chair dependingon its height. A similar range of options exists for the possiblematerials used in the chair and for its condition. The general publiccannot be expected to know all the stylistic terms associated with thischair. Nevertheless, current search models on the internet offer noalternative to the use of text. They simply assume that both buyer andseller are using the same vocabulary when searching for highly complexitems, but they're not.

[0005] The logical alternative to the use of text is that of images. Iftwo people were given a picture of the chair discussed above and thenwere told to find that chair among many similar but different chairs inthe same room, they would likely choose the same chair. Why? Becausepeople can match complex items a lot quicker with a picture than with awritten description. By comparison, if the same two people were placedin a room having many different chairs and were told to find the onethat was Renaissance Revival, their ability to choose the correct chairwould depend on their knowledge of furniture styles, not on theirnatural ability to identify similar images.

[0006] Current online models have their limitations such as auctions.Online auctions have drawn a lot of attention recently due to theincredible success of Ebay.com, a multi-billion dollar company based inSan Jose, Calif. Ebay provides a space for buyers and sellers to bid onmillions of items which are divided into one of several categories suchas antiques, metalware, pottery and textiles etc. Buyers find sellers byentering “keywords” or phrases that match descriptions given to theitems by the sellers. Buyers are allowed to bid on the itemselectronically for up to 10 days at which time the bidding ends and theitem is awarded to the highest bidder. Ebay does not guarantee oradminister the actual exchange of the item. It simply provides a mediumthrough which a trade can take place. It is up to the buyer and theseller to complete the transaction once the auction has ended. Tradersare allowed to post comments or complaints about one another. Thesecomments are publicly accessible and therefore shape the reputations ofthe traders.

[0007] Ebay exacts a fee from the seller for listing the item and acommission based on the item's auction price. The buyer pays nothing touse Ebay.

[0008] Online auctions are limited by their reliance on text-baseddescriptions and by the cost of shipping.

[0009] While Ebay is turning a profit, its usefulness as an exchangemechanism is limited to a very narrow range of items—items that requirevery little information to describe and are shipped at little cost. Suchitems include small collectibles like Hummel figurines, and name-branditems like Coach leather goods. Because these items are easily describedby their production number, name or form, and can be shipped cheaply,the number of buyers who can compete for them is vast as compared tothat for large, cumbersome items that are difficult to describe andcostly to transport.

[0010] For example, if one were to conduct a search on Ebay for thechair discussed above, he would be faced with several problems. Thefirst would be choosing the keywords to best describe the item. Thesecond problem is one of trust. Is the chair really as the seller hasdescribed? Has it been repaired? Is it comfortable etc.? Third, how muchwill it cost to ship it? Keep in mind that Ebay is globally accessibleand the chair could be (and often is) hundreds of miles away. So what isthe incentive of buying a chair through Ebay that cannot be physicallyinspected because of its distance or is interchangeable with chairsfound locally that can be transported at little cost? There is none.

[0011] Online brokers have their limitations, especially those thathandle decorative art, specialize in one category or range of items, andthey cater to clients who desire such items. The information on theirWebsites is arranged according to the knowledge and expertise of theirclients. An example is Circline.com, based in New York.

[0012] Circline.com is a broker site for very rare and expensivedecorative art and antiques. It too requires users to enter text whensearching for an object, but it does not face the same miscommunicationproblems between buyers and sellers that can occur in an auctionsetting. This is due to the high level of education and familiarity thatCircline's clients have with stylistic terms. Buyers and sellers findone another quickly on Circline because they share a commonunderstanding of how objects are described. Additionally, shipping costsare not of great concern because of the expense, rarity and desirabilityof the items.

[0013] Depending on their level of service, brokers administer everystep of a transaction to varying degrees. Circline for instance fieldsall inquiries about the items for sale, arranges the payment schedulebetween the parties, handles the transportation and insurance,guarantees the satisfaction of the parties and protects the identity ofthe seller. This is done for a fee based on the listed price of theitem.

[0014] Online brokers are useful only to a small portion of thepopulation—those who have a cultivated knowledge of what they want andthe financial resources to afford it.

[0015] Because their target audience has a high level of expertise,online brokers assume that their clients will be able to use text andkeyword searches successfully when describing what they want. Onlinebrokers are highly specialized entities and are not suited to meet theneeds of the general public.

[0016] Storefronts are websites that are owned and operated byindependent sellers of goods. Storefronts are usually nothing more thanan online catalogue of inventories housed in one location—typicallyphysical shops or warehouses. The inventories of decorative art andantique sites for instance are grouped by their form or use like tablesand chairs, or more generally like bedroom and parlor furniture. Becausethe user has no way of specifying what he wants beyond the basic form ofthe item, he is forced to browse the entire inventory in the hope offinding something he likes.

[0017] Buyers are sent to different storefronts on the Internet throughsearch engines. A search engine is nothing more than a service used tofind information on the Internet. Search engines recommend differentsites according to words or phrases entered by the user. If a user doesnot know the online address of a particular site, then he must locatethe site through a search engine by using terms that describe what theuser wants.

[0018] Storefronts allow buyers to browse the collections of many storeswithout having to leave home. Because the inventories can be viewedanywhere at any time, storefront sites have increased the sellers'market reach tremendously.

[0019] Finding a particular shop online is fairly simple, but locating aspecific item is extremely difficult and time consuming. There is no wayfor a consumer to find what he wants on the Internet directly withoutfirst being sent through multiple layers of search. Once an item isfound however, the cost to ship it may be prohibitive relative to itsprice and rarity in the market.

[0020] Online storefronts along with auctions and broker sites aredepositories for the majority of saleable items on the Internet. Theyare all text based-meaning that if a buyer wishes to locate a particularitem within the site he must enter keywords in order to specify what hewants. Unfortunately, as explained earlier, text is only useful when thedesired item can be described with a few common or widely know terms. Ifa buyer is unable to articulate what he wants in the form of words, thenhis/her efforts to find that item on the internet will be futile?

[0021] The Internet currently offers consumers no alternative totext-based searches.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The invention is a new and unique online service that combineselements of item searching and trade facilitation. At its core is avisual search engine that represents a complete taxonomy of a class ofuniquely designed items. The inventive system and methods abandon textas the primary search tool and allows consumers to identify what theywant by choosing from a series of images—images that approximate theconsumer's need.

[0023] The basic premise is that a shopper will have a mental picture ofan item with enough specificity that he or she can describe the desireditem based on picking from a palette of likely and distinctive imagesdepicting the variations in a given item's attributes. By progressingthrough a step-wise process of narrowing down a search to a particularform (chair, table, sofa) and then type (arm chair, side chair) offurniture, the application will prompt the shopper to pick severalvisual attribute “Chips” from an interface we refer to as an AttributeChooser. Other desired characteristics will be available for inclusionin the search filtration (e.g. dimensions, finish, etc.) in the form oftraditional text entry boxes, drop-down menus, check boxes and radiobuttons.

[0024] An example, if a buyer wished to purchase the chair discussedearlier, all he would have to do is select an image of that chair fromamong a visual catalogue of styles. The online service would thencompare his selection to what was available for sale and present it onthe screen. By relying on images rather than text, the service would notrequire consumers to know all the stylistic vocabulary necessary todescribe such a chair. Furthermore, sellers would have an easier timelisting their products on the service because they too would be able tocatalogue their items using the same images. It follows then that bothbuyers and sellers would communicate more effectively because they wouldbe using a common language of images instead of the subjective languageof text.

[0025] Upon pressing search, the shopper is presented with thumbnails ofmatches, if any. Resultant thumbnails are clickable to reveal furtheritem information and seller contact information. The application is notintended to broker transactions between buyers and sellers. It willgenerate revenue through charges it assess sellers to list items, salesof first-refusal rights to buyers seeking items matching a particularcombination of descriptors, and sales of advertising space to relevantvendors, merchants and service providers.

[0026] Additionally, the service would take into consideration thephysical location of the consumer and would identify the goods closestto where he lived. By doing so, the service would allow consumers tonarrow their search to a few local shops. This would save consumers agreat deal of time when ordinarily they would have to physically drivearound town searching for what they wanted. Also by finding the itemclosest to where the consumer lived, the service would reduce the costof transporting the item to the consumer's home.

[0027] A wish list and a right of first refusal on the website will drawthe attention and gain critical support from the community of likelybuyers, sellers and advertisers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028]FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a system for facilitatingelectronic commerce in uniquely designed articles.

[0029]FIG. 2 illustrates a screen display of a web home page.

[0030]FIG. 3 illustrates a screen display of second web home page.

[0031]FIG. 4 illustrates a screen display of a main search page.

[0032]FIG. 5 illustrates a screen display for attribute choosing.

[0033]FIG. 6 illustrates a screen display results from a search request.

[0034]FIG. 7 illustrates a screen display of vendor listings.

[0035]FIG. 8 illustrates a screen display of detailed item selection.

[0036]FIG. 9 illustrates a screen display for administrative selections.

[0037]FIG. 10 illustrates a screen display of administrative reporting.

[0038]FIG. 11 illustrates a second screen display of administrativereporting.

[0039]FIG. 12 shows an approximate interpretation of a desired attributefeature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] The following is a description of is how the new service wouldwork for a buyer searching for furniture. Referring to FIG. 1, theservice is accessed over the internet 100 by a user via client 110. Asearch engine server 120 is located on a website that has an address.Search engine server 120 has a data repository 130 associated with it. Abuyer logs onto the Internet 100 and enters the address of the websiteinto the address field on his client computer screen.

[0041] Site visitors will not be required to create a public account touse the site—if site visitors wish to try the site without identifyingthemselves, they may do so by designating their zip code. The indicatedzip code will be stored in a session variable and can be stored in apermanent cookie; otherwise the user must re-enter their zip code whenthey begin their next session. This group is referred to above as casualshoppers. Others in the general public audience container create useraccounts in order to realize other benefits of the search service and tolist items.

[0042] Once zip code is known, search results and advertisements arecontextual to it, although in certain interfaces, the circumference ofthe search area around the site visitor's zip code can be altered tobroaden or narrow search and advertiser result listings. The websiteonly uses the account holder's self-classification to ascertain audiencedemographic statistics and formulate marketing strategies.

[0043] A welcoming home page 200 appears as shown in FIG. 2. The siteasks the buyer if he is a buyer or a seller and where he is located. Hislocation can be determined from his zip code entry 202. The personselects “buyer” and enters his zip code. A buyer may have an establishedaccount having a user name and password which is submitted throughbutton 204. The buyer is then asked what is the general form of the itemhe is looking for—table, chair, desk, mirror etc. in section 206. Oncethe form has been chosen, the buyer is shown a main search screen shownin FIG. 4 that is separated into distinct fields or menus.

[0044] Each menu corresponds to a particular physical characteristicfound on the furniture form the buyer has chosen. The menus for a chair402, for example, would include back 404, seat 406, leg/foot 408 and arm410. Each menu contains stylized sketches of all possible examples 412of each characteristic. For instance, square seats, round seats, slipseats; shaped seats etc. are all shown in pictures. Shown in FIG. 5 isthe screen display 550 containing chair backs 502 that represent allpossible examples of backs of chair. The buyer then chooses the type ofseat he wants, and so on. Once the buyer has chosen all the desiredcharacteristics for his item, the service searches its database andchooses the items that match the buyer's choices. The attribute selectedthe closer the buyer will come to his desired selection.

[0045] Of those items, the service shows first the one that is locatedclosest geographically to the buyer according to his zip code. Theacceptable range of search range was presented and selected by buyer inthe home page view 300 shown in FIG. 3. The buyer then views all theoptions presented as a result of the search and choose the one he likesthe most. Typical search results 602 are shown as screen display 600 inFIG. 6. The search can be further refined and run again.

[0046] Upon finding a match, the buyer is given a full description ofthe item. This description shown in screen display 800 of FIG. 8includes information on who owns the chair, where it is and its cost, aswell as any notes the sellers chose to include. The buyer is then leftto decide whether or not to contact the seller. The seller is listed inscreen display 700 shown in FIG. 7 which shows a vendor listing of eightmatches.

[0047] An example of how the service would work for a seller follows.The Seller logs onto the Internet and goes to the service just as thebuyer does. He is asked if he is a buyer or seller. See FIG. 2 for homepage view. He chooses “seller” and is prompted to give his accountnumber or establish an account so that the service can identify him andthe location of the item being sold. It then asks what is the generalform of the item he wishes to sell—table chair, etc. In this case hechooses “chair”. Once the form has been chosen, the seller is shown thesame screen for chairs that the buyer was shown previously. It is brokeninto the same menus that correspond to the different physicalcharacteristics found on chairs. The seller chooses from among theimages shown in each menu until he has chosen all the characteristicsthat match the chair he wishes to sell. The seller is then prompted to“upload” an image of his chair to the service along with any notes ormessages he would like to add. This is done electronically and is wellknow in the art. It is nothing more than sending a file of the imagelike one would send an e-mail message. The only special equipment neededis a digital camera or scanner—both widely available and affordable.Once the image is uploaded, the service attaches the image to the visualcharacteristics chosen by the seller. The image is stored by the servicethrough the search engine server 120 onto data repository 130. The datais made available according to how much time, the number of hits or theother service fee arrangement the seller has paid for. Because theseller has already entered his account information, the service canidentify him to any buyers who may inquire about his chair and can billhim for the service.

[0048] Advertiser audience members hold a different account from generalsite users, and may be provided a separate URL (such as ads.IDODA.com)for signing in, in the interest of keeping their site traffic somewhatseparate from the regular site. This separation is also being usedinstead of merging advertisers with general public accounts because itis not expected that advertisers will typically be running listings orshopping, other than to observe how their ads appear in context.Advertisements appear on the home page screen displays shown in FIGS. 2and 3 as well as on search results screen displays shown in FIGS. 6, 7and 8.

[0049] Advertisers' accounts will be recorded in the same table asregular user accounts, but with a flag marking their records as beingadvertiser accounts. The account behaves as any other user account,otherwise. But when an advertiser logs in, he or she is presented withan additional navigational element allowing him or her to review theirad performance, upgrade or renew their ad.

[0050] Ads appear in the “Find it Nearby” section 210 of the website.Ads that are displayed are selected based on the zipcode of the userinteracting with the site. Among those selected, Advertisers can buyprominence in four ways. The most basic way is to have their listingboldfaced. The second most prominent is to have their ad boldfaced andhighlighted. The third is to have their ad featured—this causes it tobubble to the top of the list for a given vendor type. The fourth way isbuy one or more zip codes. This supercedes even featured status. Onlyone advertiser can “own” a given zip code at a time, and so if a certainzip code is reckoned as desirable by more than one advertiser, theirtime in that spot is a wait-list consideration that the website mustmanage.

[0051] So if User A is browsing Find it Nearby ads, all possibleAdvertisers are culled within a ceiling distance to be still considerednearby, presumably no more than 200 miles. Then of these Advertisers,the System must determine if any of these bought the zip code that UserA is from and show that one first. Next, the System must consider thecircumferences that each advertiser bought and find which Advertisersoverlap User A's center. The diagram below illustrates how an advertiserthat is within the bounds of User A's maximum range may not show becausethat advertiser opted for a narrow range, while two others with widerranges manage to overlap User A's center and are therefore includedamong Advertisers displayed in their vendor classification in Find ItNearby:

[0052] Advertisers can maintain more than one graphic for their ad andmanually change which shows when they log in, or they may opt to let thewebsite administrator rotate as many as they have uploaded (up to 10)randomly to try to catch the user's eye with variance. When anAdvertiser runs an ad, it is referred to as an Ad Run and the advertiseris asked to assign a name to it. When an ad run expires, the Advertisercan renew the ad, but it is replicated and the user is asked to providea new name for the Ad Run.

[0053] Administrators can manage advertiser accounts separately fromregular user accounts and perform a number of reporting functions togauge advertising volume over time and future advertising volume basedon ad booking.

[0054] This will follow industry standard baseline Administratorpermission scenario whereby tagging an administrative account asSupervisor will assign permission to all available administrativeutilities; otherwise, the Administrator is considered Junior and mayhave access to some or all administrative tools, but each is switched onor off individually by and Administrator who is a Supervisor.

[0055] The website will be built using a content management system (CMS)that allows site Administrators to create new content areas, hide orschedule content live and expire times, and create non-hierarchicalcontent that can appear in one or more sections of the site. A contentmanagement System enforces a high degree of uniformity in the site andgoverns layout and navigation such that the site should never havebroken links or wide variance in the appearance of content, as is oftenthe case with generation one, HTML-based sites.

[0056] Part of the basic functioning of the CMS is to allowAdministrators to create new administrative delegates who may use someor all of the administrative extranet tools to participate in themanagement of site information or to obtain reports. The Administrativeinterface is organized such that related tools are accessed via a tabbedinterface with a group label on each tab. When an administrative userlogs in, only those tabs that contain permitted admin functions appear,and on each tab, only the permitted functions. The pilot implementationof the CMS extranet will have a binary Administrator role treatmentwhereby if an administrative user is designated to be in a Supervisorrole, he or she automatically has full access to all administrativetools. Otherwise, he or she is by default a junior administrative userand will have access to some subset of administrative tools arbitratedby the supervisory administrative user who created the junior account.

[0057] Access to administrative tools is a binary consideration forjunior administrative users, whereby if the tool is permitted, the fullrange of its functionality is allowed.

[0058] Functions list feature 902 description because of the auctionsand other selling events that take place in the decorative furnitureindustry, the website owner wishes to include a calendar of eventsfeature 904. This construct allows the website to generate more contentvolatility and therefore create more reasons for users to visitfrequently. It also is another potential use for fee generation byallowing both regular users and advertisers a means to publicize theirupcoming events.

[0059] The administrators of the site can populate the calendar from theadministrative extranet using an admin utility provided for the task asshown in FIG. 9. When Administrators post events, they can flag them aswebsite owner events. This means that they are put on or otherwiseorganized by website team members. When they appear on the public sideof the site, they are treated with website branding so that they standout from other events. If this flag is not checked, the event is postedas though it had been submitted by a public user.

[0060] Other than website administrators posting calendar content, thecalendar is populated by users posting event content from their accountarea of the site. Here they can opt-in to be notified when new eventsare posted, and/or pay a flat fee in to add a listing the websitecalendar.

[0061] Each listing will have a beginning and end date, full address,cost, and fields for the user to indicated point of contact, phonenumber, email address and URL to the site, if any. The user can enter anevent name and brief text description of the event before submitting forposting. The user can opt to be credited with posting the event. If theydo, their website member name will also appear in the event listing.

[0062] Each item posted will be subject to review by a websiteadministrator in the site pilot, before it is published to the public.When the events are accepted by website administrators, they immediatelyappear on the public site in the calendar section. Links to event siteswill spawn a new browser.

[0063] Functions list content classification standards since the websitewill utilize a content management system in order to arrangeinformation, we classify content as being one or the other of two types.The first is Hierarchical, or Primary content. This content is organizedinto a taxonomy of containership. Each content item can accommodate areference to an interactive element that appears in the primary contentare of the site. The underlying assumption of primary content is that notwo content items repeat—each is unique. The other type of contentclassification is referred to as content elements. These are also eachunique, but exist independently of the primary content hierarchy. Thesecontent items may repeat within the site and are used by associatingeach content element Reports can be run by the administrators ondemographics or activity level 1002 as shown in screen display 1000 FIG.10. In FIG. 11, the screen display 110 shows volume plotted over time bywebsite administration.

[0064] One of the key features of the present invention is the graphicaltaxonomy used for the website application. To be manageable within thecontext of an internet search, a simply alphabet was created todescribing in images an infinite range of stylistic combinations. Asillustrated in FIG. 12, the chooser attribute labeled “A” is one of thebacks available for selection in the screen display shown in FIG. 5.This constitutes a schematic representation of a real object shown as“B” in FIG. 12. Also in the mind's eye is an approximate interpretationof objects “C”, “D”, “E”, and “F”. This simplification allows eachcomponent part of an object to be approximated by about 40 or so wireform sketches.

[0065] The present invention allows for the inclusion of relevantphysical characteristics about the unique items listed, such as thephysical dimensions of the item as shown in FIG. 4 such as dimensions,price range of interest, materials of construction, age. Also a separateText Box Searching feature can be made available, element 414. The textbox searching can be used to match with the sellers listed descriptionof the item for sale. These features allow the size, age and actualdimension of an item to be a searchable field, which is important andnot be easily ascertained by viewing image files of an object.

[0066] There are several advantages of this service over other services.This service represents the next step in a logical progression ofInternet shopping. It builds upon the success of current electroniccommerce models, but goes one step further by abandoning the use of textas a search tool. It relies on consumers' natural ability to identifywhat they want visually rather than forcing them to describe it withwords.

[0067] More importantly it allows for mass-customization of informationbased on the consumer's geographic location. It will allow consumers tolocate vendors within their region who can cater to their needs.

[0068] This service model can become the portal for any industry thatdeals in products that are difficult to describe and are desirable onlyin local markets due to transportation costs.

[0069] Uses of this inventive service are many. Because this serviceuses images rather than text to identify consumer goods, it isaccessible to a wide range of users regardless of their education orknowledge of descriptive terms. In addition, the service's ability tocustomize information makes it a desirable advertising medium for allvendors who wish to target their local markets.

[0070] The use of images rather than text to guide the consumer though aselection process is a applicable for a variety of industries. Suchindustries would include the Antiques Industry, the Design Industry, theFurniture Industry, the Textile Industry, the Building Industry,Consumer Behavior Researchers, the Jewelry Industry, and the ClothingIndustry. Virtually any industry that is dependent on the consumer'sability to visualize what they want

[0071] Fees can be charged for the service. Given the versatility ofthis service it will be attractive to a wide range of users who wish toadd their list or advertise their goods and services on the site.Naturally the service will exact a fee for this.

[0072] There are three potential sources for revenue from such aservice. A listing fee will be charged to anyone wishing to place theirwares for sale on the service. It will be determined by the number ofitems listed and the duration of their listing. Ebay currently charges aflat listing fee, but charges extra for options that make the item standout among others like bold text and its ranking on the buyers searchresults. Similar options can be made available on this service as well.

[0073] A fee per search could be charged to the seller every time hisitem is found in a search. Of course the fee would not exceed a givenamount to protect sellers of highly desirable items from paying morethan should be expected.

[0074] An advertising fee can be charged given the service's ability totrack buyers and sellers according to their location, this informationcan be used to match local advertisers with their target markets. Usingthe decorative art market for example, if a buyer locates a chair thatis in a shop 20 miles away, not only will service give him the name andaddress of the shop, it will also recommend vendors in the area who canrefinish it, reupholster it and transport it. These vendors will berequired to register for a fee with the service if they are to receivereferrals from it.

[0075] Additional fee generating features are the right of first refusalwhich buyers could purchase. This is shown as element 310 on FIG. 3.Buying this right affords the buyer the advantage of being notified ofan item matching stored search criteria with a time limit, say 48 hours,lead time over any other website buyer who simply has the same search asa stored wish list. Stored wish list 312, is a service that may be feebased for providing a search request on the website that is runperiodically, or run upon the uploading of seller content.

[0076] While the invention has been described for use as a searchfunction to consumers of furniture over the Internet, it is to beunderstood that the invention may be used in many other settings withoutlimitation such as Antiques Industry, the Design Industry, the FurnitureIndustry, the Textile Industry, the Building Industry, Consumer BehaviorResearchers, the Jewelry Industry, and the Clothing Industry. Virtuallyany industry that is dependent on the consumer's ability to visualizewhat they want. Changes may be made within the purview of the appendedclaims without departing from the true scope and spirit of the inventionin its broader aspects

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for providing aggregation of buyers and sellers over the internet comprising: a graphical search engine for locating unique items sought by buyers on the internet: a graphical reference library for use by sellers for listing unique items, the library comprising a graphical alphabet of component parts of unique items to be listed, the alphabet deciphering the language of design the includes a substantially infinite number of stylistic combinations; listings of unique items placed on the internet by sellers of designs, furnishings and accessories including relevant physical characteristics of the unique items for sale; search means for use by buyers for locating desired unique items by use of the alphabet and specified relevant physical information; to thereby aggregate buyers and sellers of unique items through online internet communication.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphical reference library contains an alphabet of limited number of styles representative of a substantially infinite number of stylistic combinations of unique items.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein buyers and sellers are aggregated according to geographical location.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the geographic location of buyers and sellers is determined by zip code.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein advertisements bearing a geographical relationship to a buyer, a seller or the location of a unique item are presented to the buyer.
 6. The system of claim 1 wherein the relevant physical information includes of a unique item includes dimensions, age, or materials of construction
 7. The system of claim 6 wherein additional information is given regarding the price or condition of a unique item.
 8. The system of claim 1 having a text based searching capability in addition to the graphical search engine.
 9. A method for aggregating buyers and sellers of uniquely designed items over the internet comprising the steps of: sellers using a graphical reference library for listing unique items for sale over the internet, the library comprising a graphical alphabet of component parts of unique items to be listed, the alphabet deciphering the language of design the includes a substantially infinite number of stylistic combinations; listing content of unique items online on the internet by sellers of designs, furnishings and accessories including relevant physical characteristics of the unique items for sale; online searching by buyers for locating desired unique items by use of the alphabet and specified relevant physical information; thereby aggregating buyers and sellers of unique items through online internet communication.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the graphical reference library contains an alphabet of limited number of styles that are representative of a substantially infinite number of stylistic combinations of unique items.
 11. The method of claim 9 wherein buyers and sellers are aggregated according to geographical location.
 12. The method of claim 9 wherein geographic location of buyers and seller is determined by zip code.
 13. The method of claim 9 wherein advertisements bearing a geographical relationship to a buyer, a seller or the location of a unique item are presented to the buyer.
 14. The method of claim 9 wherein the relevant physical information of a unique item includes dimensions, age, or material of construction.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein additional information regarding a unique item is presented to a buyer such as price and condition of the item.
 16. The method of claim 9 having text based searching in addition to the graphical searching.
 17. A computer program in computer readable medium, said medium comprising instructions to: access a graphical reference library comprising an alphabet deciphering the language of design that includes a substantially infinite number of stylistic combinations; list unique items online on the internet by sellers of designs, furnishings an accessories including relevant physical characteristics or the unique items for sale; online searching by buyers for locating desired unique items by use of the alphabet and specified relevant physical information; displaying the results of an online search by buyers to match the uniquely designed item through internet communication.
 18. The computer program of claim 17 wherein the graphical library contains an alphabet of limited number of styles representative of substantially an infinite number of stylistic combinations of unique items.
 19. The computer program of claim 17 the geographical location of buyers and sellers is aggregated as determined by zip code.
 20. The computer program of claim 17 wherein additional relevant information regarding a unique item is presented including dimensions, age, material of construction, price and condition.
 21. The computer program of claim 17 having text base searching in addition to the graphical searching. 